


October's moonlight

by Nickie



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Drabble Collection, Horror, M/M, Mentions of war and death, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2020-11-09 06:34:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20849075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nickie/pseuds/Nickie
Summary: This is a drabble collection for this year's whumptober! I can't promise all of the stories will be a drabble, I also can't promise I will write for each an every prompt. There's a high possibility most of these will deal with horror, thiller or psychological topics, I mean, it's spooky time, but there's also a chance some would be softer. I thought it would be a good chance to broaden my horizons and just write more uwuHope you guys enjoy it! ♥





	1. Prompt #1: Shaky hands

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1: Prompt #1: Shaky hands  
Chapter 2: Prompt #2: Explosion  
Chapter 3: Prompt #17: "Stay with me"  
Chapter 4: Prompt #31: Embrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this drabble doesn't really have a clear plot so it's up for you to interpret it! it can be confusing, but that's the style I've chosen - it's very open and for you to decide what you think went down! tell me about your thoughts, i'm not 100% confident in this genre uwu
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ficnicks) | [Curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/ficnicks)

It’s rather rare for Zoro to wake up before Sanji does. Eyelids moving rapidly to blink away the sleep, his eyes focus on Sanji’s naked back that comes to view in front of him. A soft smile graces Zoro’s lips, barely there, when he moves his hand forward and lays a flat palm on top of his lover’s spine. His skin is cold and pale, almost as white as the sheets barely covering his lower half. That’s fine, Zoro thinks when sliding his hand down, taking his sweet time. The other male’s unresponsive body looks like a work of art, a marble statue, when lying down on its side, waist dipping beautifully into the mattress as his hip juts out in the most delicious way Zoro’s ever seen.

His fingers skim up and down his waist, hoping to raise some goosebumps on the skin but there’s no reaction to his touch. Zoro pushes his head up and into his palm, elbow digging into the pillow as he tries to look at Sanji’s face. But it’s covered with a golden fringe, always obstructing half of his view; there’s warmth deep inside Zoro’s chest though, anytime his lover puffs air up to wipe the hair out. It would be nice if his hair was longer, he thinks, fingers brushing through the strands. His eyes follow them slip through his fingers like liquid gold but they’re way colder than melted metal. What a shame they won’t grow out, Zoro nearly pouts but instead he presses his puckered lips to the hair curled around his index finger. A wig will do.

It seems Sanji’s stirred at the contact but it’s only Zoro’s body dipping the mattress underneath them as he takes a more comfortable position.

“I’m sorry” Zoro whispers against the shoulder’s skin, lips skimming over the coldness. His eyes close, head too full of thoughts, words that he wants Sanji to hear. It would be problematic to tell him everything, to explain the smallest nooks of his heart when Zoro’s lips just won’t form anything his head wants him to. Fortunately he can take his sweet time now finally, they can talk it over and over until the ship sinks or they both rot under the deck.

The whole room sways suddenly and Zoro has to wrap a protective arm over Sanji’s waist. It almost felt like they’ve hit something and the swordsman wouldn’t be surprised; the ship’s taking its own course, with no one to interfere. There’s a high chance there was an island on their way, maybe a lonely wreck or an enemy’s vessel. Zoro stills, pressing Sanji to himself with his arm still securely snaked around the other’s middle. His brow furrows at the icing cold that pierces through his chest, seeping from Sanji.

“Shh”

It’s silent, with occasional waves hitting the sides of the ship. With every next second Zoro’s body relaxes and his hold on Sanji slackens. As he removes his arm from around the other man, he catches a glimpse of red. Nearly black, like Sanji’s favourite suit, dried out and crumbling around his fingers.

Zoro stares at his shaking hand covered in blood, seeing both black and red as his vision falters. Sanji is, no, they both are fine. Did Zoro miss a spot when cleaning Sanji? Or the bleeding just wouldn’t stop? In all honesty he probably didn’t treat the wounds like he should have but he isn’t Chopper. And he couldn’t ask a dead reindeer for help.

“Sanji?” his voice is suddenly too loud in the empty room. The air gets too dense and Zoro feels like the ceiling would crumble onto them, tumbling under the great weight of anticipated guilt and dead bodies of friends that he couldn’t protect. His fingers wouldn’t stop shaking, the red glowing accusingly on his palm. But, surprisingly, Zoro doesn’t feel a thing other than peace. He knows he should, with the ceiling creaking warningly over his head, but he only glances over it before focusing on Sanji’s body next to him once more.

“We’re alright” comes a mumble, audible only to Zoro’s ears. He snuggles to Sanji’s back, forehead pressed in between his shoulder blades. As if touched by a magic wand, the ceiling gets silent, as well as the ringing screams in Zoro's ears. “You can sleep a bit longer today”


	2. Prompt #2: Explosion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this drabble is on a softer side and written from Chopper's point of view! again, there's not much of action or plot, just Chopper's observations!  
i hope you enjoy it ♥
> 
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Chopper places his small hooves over the ears when something goes off near him. The poor reindeer finds himself lost and confused in the midst of action, fists, swords and devil fruit usage outcomes mixed above his head. He’s usually fine on the battlefield but the close explosion threw him off guard and the loud ringing in his ears disturbs his equilibrium. There’s no other sound than the constant, infuriating screech and the dust flying up in the air obscures Chopper’s vision. There’s panic rising up in his throat when he can’t rely on two of his crucial senses but when a waft of familiar smells hits his nose he finds himself slightly calmer.

If he squints his eyes enough, Chopper can spot two silhouettes in the grey dust, standing proud and close to each other. A smile brightens his face when he recognises Zoro and Sanji by their smell. He can’t hear the screaming enemies falling down one by one like flies but with every next unconscious body flying right above or next to his head, the dusty fog seems to disperse. Chopper lets out a happy sound, that he himself barely hears, at the clearer sight of his two crew mates.

Zoro and Sanji are standing back to back at a small distance, each of them fighting their own respective opponents. The swordsman is leaning forward on bent knees, slashing the air and bodies as effortlessly as cutting through paper. Sanji, on the other hand, is standing straight, cigarette dangling from between his teeth as he knocks out another guy with a smooth kick over their head. Chopper’s eyes sparkle at the sight; he knows how strong his friends are but it’s still a thrill to watch them fight. Every move is measured and counted, every cut smooth as if they both weigh nothing. It’s at moments like those when the ship’s doctor wants to do even better to not stay behind any of his companions.

Zoro looks over his shoulder before he and Sanji switch places like a pair of dancers. Chopper widens his eyes at the graceful movement before they narrow when he notices something. In the middle of it all, with Zoro’s clothes flapping at the twirl and Sanji’s shoes spitting last fire specks, their knuckles touch momentarily. If it was any other time, Chopper would have probably paid no mind and assumed it was accidental but without his hearing he seems to be more observant and there’s something very light yet heavy in the scene ensuing in front of him.

Suddenly, he notices everything he’s been ignoring all this time, the shortest glances thrown at each other, full of trust and unspoken emotions Chopper can only assume to be fondness, something so raw yet reserved. Sanji touches Zoro’s shoulder briefly when bending to the side with a particularly harsh kick. Zoro lets his side bump into the cook’s for only a blink, a touch so small it goes unnoticed by everyone else. It's like a small explosion goes off any time either of them looks at the other, but so much different from the angry outbursts Chopper's always seen on the ship. It's condensed, like a high-pressured air stuffed in the smallest vessel, hissing and ready to burst any second so it's to be held with care, yet they juggle it with a touch here or a glimpse there. The ship's doctor is simply mesmerised, unable to look away from this dangerous dance.

Chopper feels his ears getting hot when he finally removes the hooves from over them. He’s both embarrassed and hypnotised – he shouldn’t be hiding away and peeking at his two friends. It felt wrong and too personal, almost sacred even though they were in the middle of a fight.

“Chopper!” Luffy is running his way and Chopper jumps up, taken aback. His heart is beating fast, like a scared rabbit’s. Did Luffy notice him staring? “What are you doing here?” the captain laughs as if there’s no care in the world, as if his clothes weren’t dirty and tattered. His gaze travels towards Sanji and Zoro then and Chopper holds a breath. “Zoro and Sanji are strong, right?” another bright laughter leaves Luffy’s chest and the little reindeer lets out a deep sigh. So Luffy didn’t catch anything after all.

When he looks towards the couple again, they are quarrelling as usual, bickering over who fought off more enemies. Zoro’s hand shoots out to Sanji’s shirt and catches a good hold of it to bring their faces closer. Chopper finds himself staring, easily noticing the way those two are looking at each other with hidden longing now when the dust has fallen down almost completely. How could he have missed that earlier? Did anyone else notice? He shook his head gently and got up, small hooves working on his clothes to get the dirt off. There are more important things to be worried about, he’s a doctor after all! His little legs take him towards the rest of the crew, passing by Luffy and missing his warm smile as he watches Zoro and Sanji with a knowing gaze.


	3. Prompt #17: "Stay with me"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one turned out more bittersweet but I loved the idea of Zoro combing through Sanji's long hair so this is what came out.
> 
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Soothing and quiet moments with Sanji were definitely Zoro’s favourites. Sure, he adored Sanji’s laughter echoing off the walls, he enjoyed times when the other man got flustered and yelled at him and he definitely loved the sounds Sanji made when they were all alone and intimate. But it was the times like this one, when he just sat behind Sanji on his heels in their dimly lit bedroom. The comb running through Sanji’s long, blond hair was the only sound that filled the space between them two and it was as intimate as them making love, if not even more.

Sanji shuddered from time to time when the comb’s teeth scraped his head in just the right spot. Zoro smiled to himself when it happened again and let his fingers go down the hair right after the tool. Sanji’s hair was silky soft, straight and shining like gold in the lantern’s warm light. It was always difficult for Zoro to choose the right term for the colour – Sanji’s hair was like gold, like sun or honey, falling down his shoulders and back in beautiful cascades of bright amber. This little ritual of combing Sanji’s hair had become their safe place, a routine they often turned to in times of uneasiness or stress.

Zoro’s surprised how much Sanji’s hair had grown over the past few months. It looked like the blond hadn’t touched it with a blade for all this time and it reached almost past his shoulder blades. Many nobles let their hair grow long and put it up, sometimes in the most ridiculous fashion, to accentuate their status. But Sanji preferred it simple and his hair was usually put in a simple bun at the back of his head.

“...Please”

Zoro’s head tilted when he thought he heard something but his hand never stopped doing its job and gently moving down Sanji’s hair. The calloused and scarred skin on his fingers sometimes pulled on a hair or two so he tried to hold the comb with just the fingertips.

“You said something?” the green-haired man asked softly, not wanting to ruin the peaceful moment. Sanji’s shoulders visibly sagged and his whole posture tensed. Afraid that he might have had pulled on a strand too harshly, Zoro opened his mouth to apologize but Sanji spoke faster, voice small and shaky.

“Please, don’t go… Stay with me”

Zoro’s hand halted in the air. The relaxing moment turned sour in a matter of seconds. He thought that maybe after this long their farewells would be less painful, that maybe with their hair-brushing ritual he could calm Sanji’s worried heart but it seemed he had failed.

“Sanji, you know–“

The blond turned around on his spot, upper body twisted to look back at Zoro. His eyes were shining but he was too proud to cry. The view took Zoro aback nonetheless; he had never seen so much pain and fear in Sanji’s eyes and he’d known him longer than a decade.

“Then take me with you. I’m sick of this place” Sanji spat, although his voice was rather pleading than bitter. Eyebrows pulled together, he put on a mask he’s been taught to wear since he had been a kid; he didn’t have to do that around Zoro though so the other man dropped the comb to instead cradle Sanji’s face in his palm fondly.

“You’re an aristocrat. They don’t go to wars” _they start them_, Zoro wanted to add but he didn’t want to fuel Sanji’s frustration any more. Compared to other nobles, Sanji didn’t care about his status too much and that was why he had fallen in love with him in the first place. He just wouldn’t play by the rules.

Sanji closed his eyes tightly, hoping that the unshed tears wouldn’t slip out. There was a soft press of Zoro’s lips on each of his eyelids but the touch felt heavy, almost burning. Every time Zoro left a piece of him left as well – and even if his lover came back, he couldn’t reclaim this part of himself. Terrified that he wouldn’t be able to give out yet another bit of himself, Sanji was ready to throw away his pride and beg, if he had to.

“Look at me” Zoro’s voice was silent but demanding, like a warrior’s tone was supposed to be. Sanji opened his eyes, his vision slightly blurry for a second. When it got sharper, he came face to face with a stoic, yet determined face of his beloved. Eyes that he would always trust. “I have always come back to you, right?” Zoro continued as softly as possible and Sanji nodded before pressing his cheek into Zoro’s comforting touch. “I will be back before you even put your hair up”

Sanji wanted to laugh at that ridiculous comparison as the green-haired man carefully put a strand of blond hair behind his ear, wanting to take a better look at his face.

“I promise” Zoro added and Sanji actually let himself smile.

And he left the next morning. But this time, he didn’t keep his promise.


	4. Prompt #31: Embrace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know how this chapter came to be.  
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When Sanji hears Zoro’s dead, he can’t move. Luffy is holding Zoro’s head in his arms, screaming to the sky, blaming the heavens for his friend’s death. Chopper stays very close, little body trembling with every sob; his tiny heart broken because he, a ship’s doctor, couldn’t save his patient. Usopp tries to comfort the reindeer but his own hands are trembling as they pat Chopper’s back.

And Sanji can only stare. He looks at the messy wound on Zoro’s chest, going across his whole upper body, gushing with blood and red, everything is red. When it finally hits him, that Zoro is dead, that he’s gone, he lurches to the side and heaves out his stomach’s content.

It’s really difficult to keep the straight face though. They bid their farewells to Zoro on an island, just huddled together around a small mound. Some of them decide to say something about the swordsman, how courageous he was, how loyal and fearless his actions were. Sanji’s empty gaze stays on the pile of dirt for the whole time, body screaming in pain, longing to feel Zoro’s warmth just for a second longer. He excuses himself from the rest of the crew and walks down the beach before his legs give out and he squalls his lungs out until he’s a coughing mess.

Three months later the crew seems to be back on their course. Luffy decided that Zoro would want him to continue this journey and become a pirate king no matter the odds and the captain will pursue this dream until it becomes reality. Every day’s busy life and new adventures worked their magic and shifted their attention away from the sad reality.

But Sanji cannot forget. He can’t accept this reality and it’s harder when there’s no one to share his pain. The exact moment can’t be pinpointed clearly; at some point Sanji started looking at Zoro differently. Their fights became more of half-hearted quarrels, bickering turned into hushed conversations at night and they would grab their clothes for an embrace instead of combat. Like that, Zoro became the most important person in his life, a hand he would grab onto when he was falling, a steady shoulder for his shaky walking. They kept it a secret from the rest of the crew – not because they didn’t trust them, but because they were scared of causing sudden imbalance between them. The secretive looks and touches, sneaking into the bird’s nest at night was exciting on its own as well.

And now, Sanji feels restless. Days go by quickly as he busies himself with cooking and feeding the people. He fears the nights though, when he would see Zoro’s mutilated body right behind his closed lids, wide-opened eyes staring into his own accusably.

“Sanji?” Usopp finds Sanji on the deck, smoking yet another cigarette and staring at the ocean. The cook peeks at his friend before puffing the smoke out through his lips.

“I will be there in a second” Sanji nods gently, remembering he promised Usopp he would help him with some of his innovations under the deck. Usopp hums but he doesn’t move, studying his crew mate’s body carefully. Usually lanky Sanji became almost as thin as Brook, eyes sunken and grey. The ship’s sniper isn’t sure if he wants to start the topic of Zoro’s death now when things seem to have calmed down so he chooses to pat Sanji’s shoulder reassuringly.

“I’ll be there when you’re ready” the man adds before he disappears and Sanji wonders what exactly he meant by that. After watching Usopp’s retracting back, Sanji turns around to look at the ocean once more, taking in the rough waves of deep blue. His mind wanders to the All Blue, to his biggest dream and he gets uneasy; can he really reach this place without Zoro at his side? What if it’s not the thing he’s always imagined – what if All Blue has always been wherever Zoro was?

All this time Sanji hid his pain for the crew’s sake, kept a straight face and tended to all of their wishes. He made sure they were well-fed, he put their own good before himself in every situation. And he can’t help but wonder if maybe there’s only one way to reach All Blue and it’s by being selfish for the first and last time.

The blond man glances at the quiet, empty deck as he turns around and presses his back to the wooden railing. The wind is tousling his hair and caressing his cheek, whispering sweet nothings into his ear to soothe his racing heart. For the first time in the three-months period he’s at ease. He lets his eyes close and his lips curve up in a relieved smile. This is what being free feels like, Sanji muses as he spreads his arms to enjoy the cold breeze. What being selfish feels like. What reaching All Blue is supposed to be like.

With a light heart, Sanji lets his body tip backwards and off the ship, into the soothing embrace of the ocean and his lover.


End file.
